Alan Pardew is hoping arch-enemies Sunderland will do his Newcastle side a favour by beating Champions League rivals Tottenham.

Papiss Cisse's fine double proved the difference against Swansea - and leaves the Toon Army just two points adrift of both Spurs and Arsenal in the race for the top four.

Harry Redknapp's men visit Sunderland in Saturday's lunchtime game, and Newcastle boss Pardew admits he is praying for a helping hand from his team's biggest rivals.

"It will be one of the first times we are all going to be pulling for Sunderland in our dressing room!" grinned Pardew.

"So good luck to Martin and the boys up in the north-east. We will be hoping they can do us a favour.

"We have got ourselves in a position which elevates us in a greater form than we expected. But, with six just games to go, we can see the finishing line now."

Goal-machine Cisse struck on five and 69 minutes at the Liberty Stadium as in-form Newcastle sealed their fourth successive Premier League win.

And Pardew hailed the Senegalese striker, who has bagged nine goal in his last eight appearances following his £9million move from Freiburg in January.

Pardew said: "We have a guy in red-hot form in Cisse and that can set you apart. He was the difference between the two sides. I didn't think we were brilliant and were a little bit flat. But Cisse was electric.

"I thought his second goal had gone over the bar because it hovered in mid-air. He had a bit of back-spin on that - it was a Masters shot!

"But he is someone with pedigree. He's not a mystery or somebody we have plucked from Borneo. He has a fantastic CV. His record in the Bundesliga in a struggling team was excellent."

This was Swansea's third defeat in a row - the first time that has happened since April 2004.

But manager Brendan insisted he did not regret the decision to start the game with his top goal-scorer Danny Graham and star winger Scott Sinclair on the subs' bench.

Rodgers said: "I felt we were the better side, but we didn't score goals. Ultimately, that is what wins games."